IN THE CARDS

Having all been childhood friends in their home city of Stoke-on-Trent, bonding over a mutual love of emotional, alternative, and progressive rock music, four-piece In The Cards have spent the past few years honing a captivating combination of delicate melodies, soaring vocals, and hard-hitting heaviness.

The band have also spent this time perfecting an atmospheric, powerful live set, which has seen them share the stage with such rock juggernauts as Mallory Knox, Arcane Roots, and Funeral For A Friend.

With a new, eagerly-anticipated EP coming out in just under a fortnight, entitled ‘Eyes Beyond Reflection’, the Potteries quartet gave me an insight into the recording process, what can be expected from it, and much more.

How did the band form?

We have been playing music together since high school, where we were friends before, and over the years, steadily evolved into what you see and hear today.

Somehow, we aren’t sick of each other yet.

From where did the name In The Cards originate?

Our name was the result of us searching the world “future” in an urban dictionary, and we thought it was appropriate for our name to release directly what music is to us and where it may take us in life.

What would you say was your approach to songwriting?

Usually, our songs grow from one idea that is brought to the band by one of the members that is then developed and added to, and eventually a song is formed!

What inspires the band lyrically?

We take inspiration from many aspects of life – personal experiences, emotions, observations etc…

Later this month, you will be bringing out a new EP, entitled ‘Eyes Beyond Reflection’. How was the recording process for that?

We recorded with EP with Romesh Dodangoda at Longwave Studios, and it was one of the best experiences that we have had as a band.

The tracks were recorded over five or six days, they were fully written by the time we arrived at the studio, but a few parts were tweaked and adapted during the recording process.

And how was the experience of working with Romesh?

Working with Romesh was our first time working with a producer of that calibre, and what he brought to our music elevated it to a new level, as he gave us the sound and production that we were striving for, something that we will always be grateful for.

How will the upcoming release differ from the work that you’ve put out up to now?

This will be our first official release with the best songs we have ever written all in one place. Lots of work has gone into this, and it is the biggest thing we will have done as a band.

We are beyond excited for the EP to be released, and we feel that it is a perfect opportunity for people to get a much more solid idea of what kind of band we are.

How is it, for the band, playing live?

We love playing live and we strive to recreate the sound of our recordings as accurately as possible on stage. Connecting with our audience during and after shows is always something that we get a buzz from.

And you’ve also played alongside such outfits as Mallory Knox, Arcane Roots, and Funeral For A Friend. How were they as experiences?

Playing alongside some of the UK’s biggest ambassadors for alternative music has been a really humbling experience for us. Every time we get to play with someone of that calibre, we learn something that we can and use as an influence in our own world.

And finally, what are the band’s plans once ‘Eyes Beyond Reflection’ has come out?

We aim to get back into the studio to begin our next musical endeavour!

‘EYES BEYOND REFLECTION’, THE DEBUT EP FROM IN THE CARDS, WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STREAM, DOWNLOAD, OR PURCHASE FROM JUNE 22, FROM SPOTIFY, iTunes, APPLE MUSIC, GOOGLE PLAY, AND AMAZON MUSIC.